Cream cheese, pudding mix and xanthan gum in Creami bases

What a stabilizer does in a Creami pint

A Creami base is frozen solid, then shaved by the paddle. If the base is mostly free water, it freezes into large, hard crystals and the paddle shaves it into powder or icy flakes. Stabilizers hold onto water and thicken the base, so the ice that forms is finer and the shaved particles cling together. They also add a little body, which the mouth reads as creaminess.

Full-fat bases with enough sugar often do fine without them. Lean bases, protein shakes, sugar-free recipes and fruit bases benefit the most.

Dose chart per pint

Start at the low end. Too much gum gives a slimy or gummy texture, and too much pudding mix can taste starchy and overly sweet.

Cream cheese

Cream cheese brings fat, milk proteins and the small amount of gum that many brands include. In the classic Creami vanilla base, one tablespoon softened in the microwave and whisked with the sugar is enough to make a noticeably smoother pint. Use full-fat brick cream cheese, not whipped. Contains milk. See the full Ninja Creami vanilla ice cream recipe.

Instant pudding mix

Instant pudding mix contains modified starch and often a thickener that sets without cooking, plus sugar and flavor. It is popular in protein ice cream because it thickens thin shakes and masks protein flavors. Use instant, not cook-and-serve. Sugar-free versions work too, though many still contain maltodextrin or cornstarch. Pudding mixes usually contain milk ingredients or are meant to be made with milk; read the label for allergens.

Because it adds sweetness, reduce other sugar slightly when you add more than a tablespoon. Whisk it into the liquid well, then let the base sit 5 minutes to thicken before pouring it into the pint.

Xanthan and guar gum

Xanthan gum is a powder made by fermentation, and guar gum comes from guar beans. Both thicken in tiny amounts and work cold, which suits no-cook Creami bases. They are free of dairy, so they are handy in vegan and keto recipes. To avoid clumps, whisk the gum into the dry sugar or sweetener first, or sprinkle it over the liquid while blending.

An eighth of a teaspoon per 16 oz pint is a good start. If you see clumps or a slick texture, use less. For sugar-free pints, combine a small gum dose with allulose; see keto and sugar-free Creami.

Note.Measure gums with real measuring spoons. A heaping spoonful is several times the right dose.

Matching the stabilizer to the base

Different bases have different problems, so the best stabilizer depends on what you are freezing. A full-fat dairy base mostly needs a little help shaving smooth, and cream cheese does that while adding flavor that blends with vanilla, coffee or fruit. A protein shake is thin and watery, so it needs real thickening, which is where pudding mix shines. A sugar-free or dairy-free base often benefits most from a gum, because gums work in tiny amounts and add no sugar or dairy.

You can combine them in small amounts, such as 1 tablespoon cream cheese with 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum in a lean base. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what helped. If a pint still comes out powdery, the fix is usually a re-spin with a splash of milk rather than more stabilizer; see why is my Creami ice cream powdery.

Recipes without cream cheese or pudding mix

For dairy-free pints, see Ninja Creami dairy-free and vegan and our best ice cream maker for dairy-free guide. For protein bases, see Creami protein ice cream and the best ice cream maker for protein ice cream.

• Use more fat: swap some milk for heavy cream.
• Keep the sugar: dissolved sugar softens the frozen block.
• Cooked cornstarch: whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold milk, then simmer with the rest of the base until slightly thick; chill fully.
• Cooked custard: egg yolks cooked to 170 to 175 F act as a stabilizer. Never use raw yolks.
• Banana or avocado: blended fruit adds body in dairy-free bases.
• Gelatin: bloom 1/2 teaspoon in cold liquid, warm to dissolve, then whisk in.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the Ninja Creami use cream cheese? It adds fat and body so the frozen block shaves creamy. About 1 tablespoon per 16 oz pint is typical.

How much xanthan gum for a Ninja Creami pint? About 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per 16 oz pint. Start at 1/8 teaspoon.

Can I make Creami ice cream without pudding mix? Yes. Use more fat and keep the sugar, or add a small dose of xanthan gum or cream cheese.

Can I use regular cook-and-serve pudding mix? Not in a no-cook base. Cook-and-serve needs heat to thicken. Use instant.